Remote control apparatus for the successive release of bombs in aircraft



March 7, 1939. R DEFlVEs 2,150,055

REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR THE SUGCESSIVE RELEASE OF BOMBS IN AIRCRAFTFiled April 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l a r-rww -n N x 3 a m -1- a G I 3 k3, R a

March 7, 1939. 2,150,055

REMOTE CONTROL APPARATUS FOR THE SUCCESSIVE RELEASE OF BOMBS IN AIRCRAFTR. DEFIVES Q 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 1, 1957 FIG. 7.

FIG. 5.

Patented Mar, 7, 1939 umrao STATES nEMo'm ooNTRoL armaaa'us roa 'rmaguooassrva RELEASE OF norms my AIR- Raymond lDeflves, Brussels, Belgium,assignor to Servo-Frein Dewandre Societe Anonyme, Liege,

Belgium Application April 1, 1937, Serial No. 134,419 'lln France April8, 1936 4 Claims.

My invention relates to an apparatus for remotely controlling therelease of bombs on board aircraft and relates particularly to a dev'lcefor ensuring the successive fall of the bombs.

According to the invention the support of each bomb is provided with arelease mechanism established in such a way that the operation of therelease mechanism of a first bomb upon the actuation of the controlmember actuated by the operator automatically puts the said controlmember in communication with the release mechanism of a second bomb,each mechanism being put into the operative position by means of alocking system actuated by the putting into position of each bomb.

' An example of embodiment of the invention in its application to apneumatic device will be hereinafter described with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic view of the apparatus assembly and of thebomb secured to the aeroplane;

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section of the control mechanismshown in its unlocking position;

Figure 3 is a front view of the mechanism shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showin the mechanism in itsunlocking position;

Figure 5 is an end view of the bomb showing the means for securing it onits support;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the aeroplane showing the arrangementof the bombs and the release mechanisms with pneumatic fluid circult;

Figure 7 shows a modification of the device for attaching the bomb tothe aeroplane.

In these figures, a support l secured to the aeroplane is provided witha socket H or the like in which engages a lug i2 provided on the bomb l3for its attachment by means of a pin or pull out piece It engaged inapertures provided in the socket and in the said lug.

V shaped abutment members l (Figures 1 and 5) secured to the support IDare intended to hold the bomb l3 in a suitable position.

The pull out piece I4 is pivotally connected by a rod i6 to the end ofan oscillating lever I'I pivoted at l8 and subjected to the action of aspring i9 secured to the support iii.

A rod 20 further connects the said lever H to the end of a lever 2|pivoted at 22 to an extension 23 providedon the body 24 of the actuatingmechanism secured to the support Ill.

The said mechanism comprises a cylinder 25 closed at 26 and in whichslides a piston 21 the rod 28 of which presents a transverse recess 23.In the latter is engaged the lever 2| which is guided by a driving pivot33 extending into a diametra-l boring of the said rod and into an eyeletprovided on the said lever 2i Parallel to the cylinder 2| and at theside of it, the body 24 is provided with a two valve distributor 3i and32, said valves being connected together by a rod 33.

The first of these valves is intended to cut of! communication betweenthe cylinder 25 and the source of pneumatic fluid delivered by theconduit 34.

The valve 32 is provided for cutting of! communication between theconduit 34 and the conduit 35.

The said valves are urged" by springs 33 and 37 acting respectivelybehind the valve 3| and on a guide piston 38 integral with the controlrod 39 of the said valves.

In a transverse guide 43 secured to the body 24 is guided a bolt llsubjected to the action of a spring 42 and presenting a medianconstricted part in which an aperture 43 permits the sliding of the rod39.

The said bolt is intended to automatically engage a groove 44 notched inthe said rod 33 when the latter is moved against the opposition ofsprings 31 and 36 and when the valve 32 is brought into its closedposition while the valve 3| is brought into its open position.

The displacement of the said rod 33 is effected under the action of alever 45 pivoted at 43 to the casing of the mechanism and provided witha stop 41 intended to act on the end 48 of the rod 33 when the saidlever 45 is displaced angularly in a clockwise direction in order topermit the bomb l3 to be placed in position on the support iii.

A ball latch 49 is provided in order to operate on the lever 45 and tohold it stationary in its extreme angular positions.

A tappet 50 pivoted at 5| on the rod 28 is intended to act on a boss 52of the bolt 4| and is normally held against a stop 53 of the said rod 28by the action of a spring 54. v

The diiferent bomb supports provided with their release mechanisms aresecured for example under the wings of the aeroplane as shown in Figure6.

This figure further shows a compressed air tank 55 connected by means ofan expansion valve 56 to a selector valve 51 intended to put the ducts58 and 58a in communication either with the tank of fluid or with theatmosphere. The duct 58' extends from the valve to the conduit 34 of therelease mechanism of a bomb -A while the conduit 35 of this mechanism isconnected by a tube 53 to the conduit 34 of the mechanism of a bomb Bthe conduit 35 of which is connectedto the mechanism of a bomb C and soon for each following bomb. The arrangement shown for the series ofbombs in the right wing of the aeroplane is identical with that of theseries of bombs on the left wing.

In order to maintain the equilibrium of the aeroplane during the fall ofthe bombs, the fluid distribution is preferably established in such away as to produce simultaneously the release of one bomb of the serieson the right wing and one bomb of .the series on the left wing, it beingunderstood, nevertheless, that the selector valve 51 may be arranged soas to release only one bomb at a time.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The lever 45 having been necessarily actuated in order to put the bombsin position on their support, the valves of the difierent bombmechanisms become locked by the bolt ll in the position shown in Figure4. In this position of the valves the cylinder 25 of the first bomb isin communication with the tube 58 while the tube 59 connecting themechanism of this first bomb to the next is isolated bythe closure ofthe valve 32.

If it is desired to release a first bomb from each wing, the operatorafter having opened the selector valve 51 operates on the expansionvalve 56 in order to send through the ducts 58 and 58a, the compressedair which passes through the conduit 34 of the bombs A of each wing andoperates in the cylinder 25 in order to displace the piston 21 and therod 28. The latter in its movement moves the lever 2| which in its turnactuates the rod 20, the lever l1 and the rod l6 which disengages thepull out piece 14 from the lug l2 of the bomb. During the movement ofthe rod 28 the tappet 50 rocks on the boss 52.

So long as the operator bears on the expansion valve 56 the piston 21remains at the bottom of its stroke and a single bomb from each wing isreleased.

As soon as the operator ceases his action on the valve 56 putting thechannels 58 and 58a and the cylinder 25 of the mechanisms of the bombs Aof each wing in communication with the atmosphere, the piston 21 returnsto its original position urged by the action of the spring l9 actuatingthe lever H. -The return movement of the piston 21 causes the tappet 50to act onthe boss 52 pushing back the bolt 4| against the action of thespring 42 while disengaging the said bolt from the groove 44. Under theaction of the springs 31 and 36 the valves 32 and 3| take up theirposition shown in Figure 2. The valve 3| is then closed cutting offcommunication between the cylinder 25 and the conduit 34 whereas thevalve 32 is opened establishing communication of the conduit 34 with theconduit 35. During its move ment the rod 33 operates by its end 48 onthe stop '41 of the lever 45 which falls and takes up the position shownin Figure l and is held in this new position by the action of the ball49.

In this latter position of the valves of the mechanism of the bomb A ofeach wing the compressed fluid can now pass to the mechanism of the bombB of each wing while passing through the channels 58 and 58a, conduits34 and 35 and the tubes 59 and 59a. A fresh action of the operator onthe expansion valve 56 in order to have previously fallen and in each ofwhich the valve 32 is open and the valve 3| is closed.

The selector valve 51 provided at a point of the cockpit within reach ofthe pilot further permits the control of the bomb release to be isolatedwhen it is desired to pneumatically control other firearms such asmachine guns, cannons, et c., fitted on board the aeroplane. Theexpansion valve in this case serves to actuate the various firearms.

'I'he bombs may also be supported vertically according to thearrangement shown in Figure 7. In this arrangement the bomb attachmentin which is engaged the pull out piece I4 is then provided at one end ofthe projectile.

What I claim is:

1. In a remote control device for actuating successively, on board anaeroplane, fluid motor operated bomb releasing mechanisms, a fluid motorfor each of said mechanisms, a distributor for each of said motors, asource of fluid under pressure, a conduit for connecting the said sourceof fluid with the said distributor, a member for cutting of! thepressure of fluid in the said conduit, a first valve in the saiddistributor, a spring for acting upon the said valve to normally closethe communication between the said conduit and the said motor, a secondvalve in the said distributor, a second spring for acting upon the saidsecond valve to normally open the latter and establish the communicationbetween the said conduit and the driving means for the bomb releasemechanism to be actuated next, a positive connection between the saidfirst and second valve, means for automatically locking the said firstand second valve after a movement of these valves against the opposingaction of the said first and second spring, and means associated withthe motor co-operating with the said distributor, for unlocking the saidfirst and second valve when the pressure is cut off in the said conduitupon operation of the said motor.

2. In a fluid operated remote control device for successively actuatingon board an aeroplane, 'a number of bomb release mechanisms by means offluid motors, a fluid operated motor for each of the said mechanisms, afluid distributor associated with each of the said motors, a source offluid under pressure, a conduit for connecting the said source of fluidto the said distributor, a member for cutting off the pressure in thesaid conduit, valves in the said distributor for being simultaneouslyactuated against the opposing action of resilient means andforalternately opening the communication between the said conduit andthe said motor, and with the controlling means of the bomb releasemechanism to be actuated next, a rod for operating the said valves, anannular groove in said rod, a loaded bolt provided transversely of thesaid rod and subjected to the action of a spring to engage automaticallythe said groove when the said valves are driven and are establishing thecommunication between the said conduit and the said fluid motor, acylinder for the said fluid motor, a piston in this cylinder, meansopposing the displacement of the said piston, a piston rod for the saidpiston, a loaded pawl pivoted .to the said piston rod for acting uponthe said bolt and for disengaging the latter when the pressure is cutoff in the said conduit upon operation of the said fluid motor, andmeans moved by the action of fastening a bomb to the said mechanism, foroperating the said valves.

3. In a fluid operated remote control device for actuating successively,on board an aeroplane a number of fluid motors driving each a bombrelease mechanism, a base for the said mechanism, a recessed supportsecured to the said base for engagement by an eye associated with a bombto be released, a transverse aperture in the said eye, a transverseaperture in the said recessed support, a pull pin engaging the aperturein the said recessed support and the aperture in the said eye, a motorcylinder supported on the said base, a piston in said cylinder,resilient means opposing the movement of the said piston, a piston rodassociated with the said piston, a linked connection for uniting thesaid piston rod to the said pull pin, a fluid distributor integral withthe said cylinder, a source of fluid under pressure, a conduit forconnecting the said source of fluid with the said duit and thecontrolling means of the bomb release mechanism to be actuated next.

4. In a remote control apparatus for successively actuating bomb-releasemechanisms of an air-craft controlled by fluid motors, a source ofcompressed fluid and a conduit for connecting the motors with saidsource, a member in the conduit for cutting ofi the pressure of thefluid, a bomb support for each of the bomb-release mechanisms, a fluidcylinder for each mechanism, a movable member in said cylinder foractuating said mechanism when moved under the action of the fluid, aspring acting on said movable member to return it to its normalposition, a three-way distributor for providing communication of saidmotor with said conduit when arranging a bomb in position, meansprovided on said movable member to act during the return stroke of thelatter and cause said distributor to return into a position forestablishing communication of the conduit with the motor of thefollowing mechanism to be actuated.

RAYMOND DEFIVIB.

